Bedivere
by Interlacing Stars
Summary: He promised he would stay by her side always, no matter what she was. His honor refused to allow him to change her fate, to change her for his sake. But he forgot one important fact. And it changed their lives...forever. FakirAhiru
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Once upon a time, there was a boy, lost and alone. A boy full of hope and despair, full of a love that could never be returned to him, no matter how much he wished it. A boy blessed and cursed with a gift, a gift with words and stories, inherited from a long-lost ancestor. This boy was known as Fakir.

* * *

Fakir had danced with her, in a place dark with despair and gloom. He danced because it was the only thing he could do, the only thing that would reach her fragile yet loving heart. He danced because it was a part of him, a part of his soul, a part of his life, and he wanted to share it with her. He danced because it caused a light of hope to surround them, hope and happiness and some strong emotion that neither one would dare acknowledge so soon.

As they danced, Fakir had promised her, a sworn oath, with the loyalty and determination only true knights had. He promised that silly, beautiful girl that he would accept her for who she was, duck or human, and that she should accept herself as well. He promised to be by her side always and forever. And because of these promises, they were able to overcome their darkness together, and save the lives of those they loved and those they knew.

But with their success came a time of change. The prince and princess left to another place, another story, where they would rule together in love and happiness. They left the small, quiet village behind and, in doing so, left the knight and the duck behind to begin the new chapter in their tale.

True to his promise, Fakir stayed with Ahiru, who had stayed in her duck form indefinitely. While she floated on her beloved pond, peaceful and content, Fakir sat atop the dock, writing the stories of those who needed their tales to be written. But he never did allow his pen to write stories of her, lest his deepest longings awaken the words to reality.

As the years passed, Fakir's mind strayed to times long ago, when he and Ahiru argued as knight and princess. He knew his love ran deep for her, but he would not change her fate. His honor was all-consuming, no matter how much he loved her. For, as much as he loved her, he knew that by changing her story, he would go back on his promise to accept her as she was. He could not turn her into a human, not when he had convinced her that being a duck was a thing to be content with. He could not do it, no matter how much his heart cried for it.

So, he stayed where his heart knew he belonged, at her side, his eyes seeing her as she once was, an innocent, clumsy girl. And though his love grew and grew, his honor stayed intact, and his quiet longings to see her again as a human were silenced, leaving him powerless. His powers as a knight would do nothing here, and his powers as a writer... they would serve no honorable purpose. Not for her.

But Fakir had forgotten one, important fact when he promised to be at her side always. He forgot that ducks age differently than humans. In the back of his mind, he had assumed that enchanted ducks would live as normal humans did, but she was no longer enchanted. She did not stay the fluffy, yellow duck that she had always been; instead, she lost the down belonging to ducklings and earned the feathers belonging to mature ducks. For, in her human form she was a thirteen-year-old girl; which could only mean she would be a thirteen-year-old duck when the enchantment ended. It was this fatally important fact that Fakir failed to realize... until it was too late.

On Fakir's twentieth birthday, Ahiru stopped floating above the water and nearly drowned. Fakir saved her immediately, diving down into the cold depths of the pond, bringing her to safety on the shore. There he found sixteen-year-old Ahiru to be weak and brittle with old age. It was then, and only then, that he finally saw the cloudy film obscuring her vision, the slowing of her heartbeats, and the long pauses between her breaths.

"Ahiru," he whispered, tears filling his eyes as realization of her inevitable end hit him. "Please. Don't leave me."

Her eyes were full of pity, and she let out an unhappy, "Quack!" asking him for his forgiveness, begging him not to suffer over her death. But his mind was closed to the meaning of her quack, his heart too close to breaking to hear those silent words.

It was then, at that moment, that Fakir saw he had to proclaim his love, before it was too late. Maybe, just maybe, his proclamation of true love would change her ending, would change their ending. It worked in other stories before; maybe there was still hope. But, as his lips parted to speak the words, Ahiru took one last, shuddering breath and closed her eyes for the last time.

Grief clutched at Fakir's heart until he could hardly breathe. Gently cradling Ahiru's still-warm body, he sobbed, "Ahiru… I love you."

After burying her body under their tree by the pond, where he had first shed his tears in her company, he gazed out onto the pond, unable to face the cold grave that held the one he loved. With a bitter sigh, he looked down at his dirt-covered hands, and murmured quietly to himself, "What good is a gift if I am unable to save the one I love? I could not change her story, and thus her fate. It is not a gift that I possess; it is a curse."

So, with a heavy heart, Fakir returned home and began to pack his things. Once finished, he took his sword and, with a clenched jaw and a determined glint in his eye, sliced off his right hand, his dominant hand, the hand that held within it the power to write truth. Crying out in pain, he fell to his knees, tears pouring down his cheek, but he did not regret his seemingly mad action. He had to stop the source of his inheritance; it would have only been a constant reminder of what he could have done, what he should have done, to protect her, to save his beloved Ahiru from her untimely end. It would have haunted him, driven him to insanity, made him think twice of his knightly honor, the honor that filled the very fiber of his being.

In the foggy evening, his cloak and belongings adding to the weight on his shoulders, Fakir left the town that had been his home and his life. He did not tell anyone he was leaving, nor did he say any goodbyes, for that task was too big when he was already itching to go. He had to leave; too many memories surrounded him here, too many happy times shared with Ahiru. They were only more reminders that he could not face, not when his heart was already brittle with the ache that filled it.

It is here that a chapter in his life ends and another begins, and it is here that the world that he knew changed forever. Whether he knew it or not, he walked towards a destiny that would both make and unmake him. For he did not want to forget Ahiru, the girl that stole his heart from him. He just wanted to rid himself of the terrible aching that filled him when he thought of her. So, he walked to a new world, a new life, with nothing but thoughts of _her_ holding him back and moving him forward.

* * *

With a groan, two full-lashed eyes opened to reveal cerulean orbs. "Fakir…"

* * *

**Whoo. Okay, I wasn't planning on writing a Princess Tutu fanfiction, even though I absolutely adore the anime, but this idea just popped into my head. Let me just say it won't be one of my better stories, and that the plot itself is pretty lame. It's based on the Arthurian legend, centering on the knight Bedivere. Don't worry. You'll see how it all ties together in the next chapter. Promise. **

**I do not own Princess Tutu.**


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

Fakir traveled for many days and nights, over mountains, across streams, through forests. His back ached from the weight of the supplies he carried upon it and his feet were sore from the rough path of the earth. But the most pain came from his self-inflicted wound; the wrappings where his right hand should have been were dark with blood as it throbbed with every step he took. Yet there was no one to comfort him, no one to distract him from his pain. He was all alone, and in his solitude and pain, he lost himself.

He walked through the greens and browns of the earth during the day, and stared into the fires that kept him warm during the night, but his mind saw none of these. Deep into himself he searched, but for what, he did not know. No longer did he know who he was; was he a knight or a writer? Could he be either, anymore? For he had given up the sword for the pen, long ago, when his power with the pen proved stronger than his physical strength. But Ahiru's death brought forth the shunning of his blessing, his curse, and no longer was it possible for it to thrive in him.

Days, months passed and not once did he come in contact with any other being as he continued walking. But this was because he chose paths that were least used, longing to be left alone. He ignored the urge to hear another's voice, to share stories with another, because the only voice that he wished to hear was _hers_. And wanting to hear her once again was more painful than anything he ever knew. Deeper into himself he was driven as time passed, in the slow and steady way that it does, yet he discovered nothing about himself. His future, his true self, was as hidden and mysterious as the wonders of the universe around him.

Finally, on one bright yet chilly morning, the scent of salt filled his senses. The thick forest soon thinned, and then ended as he continued forth. Walking a few yards from the forest's edge, the ground dropped dramatically, racing down to crash into the water below. It was the sea, the ocean, something he had never seen before. Closing his eyes, he felt the brush of salty air upon his face and for the first time in a long time, he felt a semblance of peace.

Opening his eyes, he took in the sight of the sun rising from the blue, blue water. In that moment, distress took control of his mind once again. For, with the heaviest of hearts, he realized he had seen the ocean before, but in another form. He had seen it in Ahiru's eyes, those magnificent, beautiful, innocent eyes. Those eyes that he could get so lost in, for they were so deep and pure it was as if he could drown in them…

Closing his eyes once more, he tried to repress the painful memories of his lost love. Once the wave of emotions passed, he opened his eyes. No longer could he see the sea, no longer could he feel the breath of salt upon his stoic features. He was numb, empty of all feeling, all emotion. With a few deciding steps, Fakir stepped forward. In a span of a few moments, he felt the rush of the air and the darkness of unconsciousness. His world as he knew it was over.

* * *

With a gasp, Ahiru sat up. "Fakir," she said, voice filled with fear.

Shaking her head, a feeble attempt to remove the shroud of fear around her, Ahiru shivered. _What a terrible dream! Fakir walked right off the edge of a cliff. I used everything in my "power" to save him. I slowed his fall with the air currents, pushed the tides higher…yet still he fell, disappearing into the tormented waves below. But what was most terrifying was his eyes. They were dead, void of life. It was as if he stepped off the cliff on purpose, as if he wanted to die._

With a sad sigh, Ahiru looked at her surroundings. It had already been a few days since she first awakened in this place. She was trapped in some sort of giant underground lake. The absolutely weird thing was that she was underwater, but she did not drown, nor have difficulty breathing. But there was no way out, no way to the surface world above. In fact, she couldn't even see the surface world. The only light that surrounded her were these odd, drifting flames, flames that seemed to dull or brighten according to her emotions.

_At least I'm human now…_ she thought, flushing as she looked down at her matured body. _It seems my body has aged far more than my sixteen years. But then again, Fakir's body had changed a lot over the three years I was by his side. _

Sighing dreamily, Ahiru conjured the image of Fakir's slim yet built figure and how his graceful movements were accentuated by the ripple of defined, powerful muscles. But at thoughts of Fakir, Ahiru quickly sobered. _Fakir…he was missing his right hand in my dream, and in its place were bloody bandages. But what in the world could have happened to it?_ With a shrug, she shook it off. _It was just a dream, wasn't it?_

Realizing that she had unconsciously been drifting around her confined space, causing the water to churn slightly, Ahiru settled to the bottom of the underground lake. With a deep breath, she released all her tension. _I loved him…but did he love me?_

Straining, she tried to imagine everything that they shared together, every moment, every glance, every touch, and attempted to see if they meant anything. As she strove to make a connection with Fakir, an image was conjured before her. Upon realized what, or rather, who she saw, Ahiru's heart skipped a beat. _I must be imagining things…_

Before her wavered an almost clear image of Fakir, lying on a foreign beach, unconscious. _It's almost as if I can touch him._

Reaching out a tentative hand, tears filled her eyes as she brushed his cheek with the back of her hand, removing the sand from his face. _Impossible…yet…it's happening. I…I can practically feel the heat rising from his body. _Gently smoothing his tousled hair from his face, wishing his eyes would open so she could see his penetrating, green stare, she smiled softly. With another gentle touch, she delicately soothed the worry lines from his forehead. There existed not a single place in the world where she gained such contentment, where she felt so complete, here at Fakir's side.

Leaning forward, until her lips hovered above his ear, she whispered, "Awaken, Fakir. Life has been granted to you. Open your eyes and rise, my love."

What possessed her to say such, she did not know. It seemed to flow from her heart and her mind, escaping through her lips, moving her body of its own accord. But, as soon as these words were released into reality, the image of Fakir disappeared, leaving Ahiru feeling empty and lost. When the shock of what happened finally hit her completely, she let out a heartbroken sob and collapsed to the ground. Holding her tingling fingers to her body, the same fingers that had touched Fakir's features, she shook uncontrollably, her sobs racking her body almost painfully. _Why am I alive? Where am I? Who am I? Why am I denied the happiness I deserve?_

* * *

_Ahiru?_ Opening his eyes, Fakir groaned in pain. Once the wave of torment washed over his body, he slowly pushed himself up. At the exertion, he began coughing, and all the sea water that he must have swallowed rushed up and out of him to freedom. Grimacing, he tentatively wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Managing to drag himself away from the edge of the water, he flopped over onto his back with a grunt of pain. _I swear she was here, by my side. I could hear her, hear her waking me from the darkness. Only she could bring me back with her light…yet here I awakened, still living a wretched existence. A life without her. Is she still alive? Or was I just imagining things?_

Closing his eyes against the barrage of tears, he took a deep, jerky breath, wishing to fill his lungs with the air that seemed to have escaped him. _Why am I still alive? Where am I? Who am I? Why am I denied the happiness I deserve?_

As the darkness of unconsciousness replaced the lightheaded feeling he was experiencing, a single tear escaped his closed lids. But before the world disappeared, one thought remained. _Ahiru…one day we'll be together. I promise you. Whether it be in this life, or the next. _

* * *

**Yay, I finally updated! Phew! This story is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I'm just pulling stuff out of me bum right now. I have no real idea how this story's gonna go...which is weird, 'cause I usually make a basic plot, at least. I have nothing for this story. And that's my lame excuse for not updating it...and I'll stick to it. Ugh, it sickens me that I don't know what's gonna happen. How terrible is that? Alright. I'ma go now. Laters!**

**I do not own Princess Tutu.**


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